The is no consensus on climate change

Posted: Tuesday, February 09, 2010

The Empire article reporting on the Centennial Hall meeting with the makers of the film "Not Evil Just Wrong" states that a representative of the environmental group Oceana encourages an open debate on the issue of global warming. If that is true, it is certainly a change from the usual approach on the part of proponents of man-caused global warming who routinely make pre-emptive strikes against debate by claiming that the issue of global warming is settled science and, therefore, beyond debate.

However, there is extensive disagreement among climate scientists as to the cause of global warming. Enough so that proponents have had to resort to the claim that there is a scientific "consensus" regarding man-caused global warming. It is curious that one needs to claim consensus on an issue that is supposedly established by objective scientific research. This is politics, not science.

The need to change the descriptive term from "global warming" to "climate change" clearly shows that supporters of man-caused climate change recognize the uncertainty of their claims and the need for a term which covers whatever happens - especially in the face of apparent cooling in the past decade. Also, recent revelations regarding the behavior of high-profile global warming proponents in refusing to show data and threats to destroy such data are particularly damaging. Peer review apparently is out. This, in addition to other claims that have been shown to be false adds to the impression that this is a monumental hoax driven by politics and money. We can be sure that open debate is the last thing the global warming proponents want.

We all should support reasonable positive steps to protect our environment, but we need to guard against adoption of programs and policies that will destroy our economy. Even Al Gore doesn't act like he believes what he claims about the pending destruction of our planet. His refusal to answer questions and defend his claims of global catastrophe is particularly revealing.

In the final analysis, we need a good dose of caution before charging off on the carbon trading bandwagon. It is simply irresponsible to commit large sums of money and resources to address a problem about which there is so much uncertainty.

There are too many unanswered questions. For centuries our world has experienced cycles of both global warming and cooling. The reasons are not well understood. Get ready for the coming ice age - or warming - whichever comes next!